Chapter 21 She took the initiative!

Later, the family moved back to the city, and not long after that, he joined the army. In his third year of service, his mother wrote him a letter, saying that Captain Lin’s daughter had moved into their home to live and go to school. In the fourth year, he returned home on leave. By then, he was already a company commander. But on New Year’s Eve, he was drugged and ended up in bed with Lin Qiyue. She had just turned eighteen that year. The day after their wedding, he returned to the army because his leave ended, and he was assigned a last-minute mission that required him to go back.

That separation lasted three years. He really wanted to write to her, but didn’t know what to say. He used to see her as a younger sister, and now she had become his wife. The sudden shift in identity was hard to process—he couldn’t accept it, and he was afraid that his actions might scare her.

The moment he became a battalion commander, he made up his mind to bring her to live with him on base—so that every evening when he came home, he could see her.

From beginning to end, he had always believed Lin Qiyue would never do anything like that. He had planned to talk things through with her after returning and live together for a while. If she felt they weren’t suited for each other, they could divorce—he would respect her choice.

But he never expected that on his way back from the train station, he would witness someone attempting to jump into the lake. He instinctively rushed to save them, and when he saw that it was Lin Qiyue, his heart was gripped with fear.

Hearing what he said, Lin Qiyue rolled her eyes at him and said, “You’ve already made all the arrangements. Do I even have a choice?”
“I don’t want you to refuse,” Lan Yuchu answered honestly.

The moment he pulled her from the lake, all thoughts of divorce vanished. He told himself he had to protect Lin Qiyue from now on and never let her get hurt again.

Lan Yuchu’s words didn’t sound fake. Lin Qiyue thought for a moment—maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try. This man seemed like a good fit. Plus, every time he left, people around her would start gossiping and criticizing her. While she didn’t care that much, living in that kind of environment would eventually take its toll.

“If you don’t say anything, I’ll take it as a yes?” Lan Yuchu asked tentatively.

Lin Qiyue looked at him cautiously, anticipation in her eyes.

Realizing the situation was getting a bit too intimate, she immediately got off of him. They had gotten so into the conversation, they didn’t even realize how suggestive their position had become. That thing had been pressing against her, clearly eager to act. If she didn’t move away soon, it felt like she’d be devoured.

“Where are you going?” Lan Yuchu wouldn’t let her move and pulled her back.
“Ah~” Lin Qiyue cried out in surprise.

Their faces were suddenly close, and their eyes met. Silence fell. Lin Qiyue’s face flushed red, her heart pounding wildly. A trace of panic and nervousness flickered in her eyes.

Her hands rested on Lan Yuchu’s body, and when her hot fingers touched his skin, it felt like she was pressing him against a fire.

Lan Yuchu’s body surged with energy, every muscle tensing, and that place also began to react intensely.

It was too quiet. Lin Qiyue was nervous but also slightly expectant. This damn desire—turns out women can’t resist provocation either!

“I’m not ready for this—it’s too sudden!” she said.

She hadn’t had enough of looking at him, but things didn’t need to progress so quickly. It would be better to take it slow.

But Lan Yuchu, young and full of energy, was clearly having trouble holding himself back. When she sat back down on him, desire took over, and he almost kissed her neck.

“It’s time to sleep,” Lin Qiyue said, flustered. Before he could react, she got up quickly.

A flash of disappointment crossed Lan Yuchu’s eyes—she still wasn’t willing. But that was okay. These things couldn’t be forced. She must have some lingering trauma. It was better to take it slow.

Lin Qiyue climbed into bed first, pulled the blanket over herself, and lay down. Lan Yuchu got up to turn off the light, then lay down beside her.

He was nervous too. At night, the little woman’s sleeping posture was very unpredictable. If she ended up clinging to him, how was he supposed to hold back? The more he thought about it, the stronger his physical reaction became. He couldn’t fall asleep.

Lin Qiyue couldn’t sleep either. Her thoughts lingered on their earlier interaction—and that kiss from Lan Yuchu.

In both her lives, it was the first time anyone had kissed her like that.

Under the covers, she touched her lips where he’d kissed her and giggled secretly. She wished she could jump up right then, or better yet, just pounce on him.

Thinking back, she was being too reserved! But it was too late to regret it now. She’d turned him down, and going forward, he probably wouldn’t take the initiative again.

She couldn’t possibly make the first move, could she?

This string of thoughts cooled her excitement a little and left her feeling slightly disappointed.

“Lin Qiyue, pull yourself together—there’s still time,” she told herself. “Thinking about this all day is pathetic.”

But in the very next second—

Lan Yuchu turned to her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

Before Lin Qiyue could say anything, his husky voice sounded in her ear:

“Holding each other while we sleep helps build affection. It’s not like it’s our first time.”

He figured he needed to be more proactive. Otherwise, with how shy she was, how would he ever get to taste the meat?

Since Lin Qiyue didn’t refuse, he held her—but the way he held her was uncomfortable.

“You’re holding me too tight. I can’t breathe,” Lin Qiyue said weakly.

Lan Yuchu immediately loosened his grip.

But Lin Qiyue still didn’t feel comfortable. Her waist was being pressed in an odd way.

The man, holding his little wife, felt overjoyed inside.

“Lan Yuchu?”

“Mm?”

“Don’t hold me anymore. It’s too uncomfortable.”

Hearing her say that, Lan Yuchu felt a bit disappointed. “Okay~”

He silently withdrew his arm.

Maybe she still wasn’t used to being held by him.

Everything still had a chance—things would get better with time. That was the only way he could keep comforting himself.

But then Lin Qiyue shifted closer to him, lying against his shoulder and placing her hand on his chest. Half her body was leaning on him.

“I’ll hold you instead. This way it’s more comfortable. Do you feel uncomfortable?” she asked. After all, since they were already holding each other, switching roles didn’t seem like a big deal.

“Comfortable,” Lan Yuchu replied, all his worries melting away because of Lin Qiyue’s gesture.

But this woman just couldn’t sit still—she kept moving.

Lin Qiyue marveled at his abs—they were too perfect! Truly perfect! It was her first time touching them, and she was overjoyed, almost floating with happiness. She wanted to scream!

Reason told her she shouldn’t.

Heaven help her—this kind of man, with such an incredible body, was someone she couldn’t even dream of getting in her previous life. This had to be the heavens granting her wish!

Lan Yuchu’s body stiffened—this woman was clearly provoking his desire.

Grabbing her hand, he said in a deep voice, “Go to sleep.”

His hands were rough and calloused, but that gave Lin Qiyue a strong sense of security. As if, with this man by her side, her heart could completely trust him.

The more she thought about it, the happier she felt.

The man’s rapid breathing grew louder and louder.

Lin Qiyue had no idea danger was approaching. Her little head kept rubbing against his neck.

Her scent made Lan Yuchu utterly captivated. Down there—he was already completely out of control.

He really couldn’t hold back anymore. He let go of Lin Qiyue and sat up, turning on the bedside lamp. His flushed face clearly showed just how badly he was holding himself back—his whole body was red.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Qiyue asked. But when she saw the state of his body, she realized she had gone too far.

She had clearly ignited something in him that he could no longer suppress.

“You should go to sleep first. I’m too hot—I’ll go take a shower,” Lan Yuchu said, lifting the blanket to get out of bed.

“Isn’t it bad for your body to shower at this time of night?” Lin Qiyue asked, even though she already knew the answer.

But Lan Yuchu was too uncomfortable. No amount of self-talk would help him calm down anymore.

“It’s fine. I used to take cold showers after training too. I’ll be fine soon. You sleep first,” he said, turning his red face toward Lin Qiyue as he spoke.

This was the first time Lin Qiyue had seen a man’s desire so visibly strong. She had already noticed earlier that his body was unusually warm, but she hadn’t expected it to be this intense.

“Do you have a fever?” she asked again, unwilling to give up. “Did you sweat too much from exercising and get a fever after showering?”

Panicked, she sat up and held his face in her hands. He really did feel hot.

To make matters worse, one strap of her nightgown had slipped down, exposing a patch of fair skin on her shoulder.

Lan Yuchu, upon seeing it, instinctively closed his eyes and pulled her hands away. His voice was tight with restraint. “I’m fine. I just need to shower. It’s not a fever!”

Of course he knew it wasn’t a fever. If he kept looking, he might get a nosebleed. Since his little wife wouldn’t give herself to him, he’d have to find another way to put out the fire.

Lin Qiyue, seeing him like this, realized it wasn’t a fever—she had made things worse with her teasing. She suddenly felt shy, but the same desire also sparked within her heart.

As Lan Yuchu bent down to put on his shoes and get up, Lin Qiyue suddenly grabbed both his hands.

He hadn’t steadied himself yet when—caught completely off guard—he was pulled straight back onto the bed.

He looked at her in shock.

Her face was bright red, looking guilty and unsure of what to do.